Return of the Goblin King by stephiejack
by stephiejack
Summary: Five years after her journey through the labyrinth, Sarah is enjoying college life, when Hoggle tells her that the king is missing and the underground will be doomed without him. Sarah agrees to help find him but she has a small problem, her memories of the underground and it's king are faded to the point where she doesn't remember what he looks like. Is that an accident?
1. Chapter 1

The golden luster of his world was fading, everything started to look dull and fragmented. The world of the Underground was slowly darkening and his world was starting to show his inner turmoil and its inhabitants were getting frightened. When the days got shorter with each passing week they ventured to the King for answers, but he gave none. Soon he wasn't seen at all, leaving everything in pandemonium. The Labyrinth, once the center of their home, was starting to crack and they knew if it were to crumble so would their world.

It had been five years since King Jareth was defeated by Sarah Williams and he had fallen helplessly in love with her. He had hoped she would call for him when she got older but in this last year he had grown more depressed with each passing day that she didn't call.

She had rejected his gifts so his chest ached as it broke. He wanted to tell her before but he was forbidden to do so. She had to have figured it out on her own. He was in love with her but in her youth she could not understand what it meant.

The days in the Underground continued on, but he could not. Soon the despair in his heart had started to affect his kingdom and power, but he no longer cared. Closing his eyes he summoned the crystal and he glanced at the world above ground. There she was sitting among her friends on the grassy lawn. Sarah didn't look much older but she now carried the confidence of young adulthood. But he could still see in her eyes that spark of life that only a child's imagination could have and he longed for her.

Sarah could still remember her journey clearly for a long time after it happened and often called her friends back to her room but as the years had passed, her memories begun to fade as the demands of life required more of her attention.

It had now been five years and she no longer called upon her friends from the Underground to visit her in times of need but she could still feel their presence in her heart. She knew as long as she held them fondly to her heart they wouldn't be far. Her life had changed after that fateful day in the labyrinth, the lessons she learned had stuck with her and she was thankful for that. She understood things better than she did as a teen, Life is sometimes not fair but you have to learn to roll with it, She no longer took things for granted like her little brother Toby, She knew that there were magical things that aren't often seen by mortals, and she has even come to understand her old foe and came to appreciate what he has done for her.

She smiled at the thought of him now, the tights and jeweled cloaks, his long shaggy blonde hair, his lyrical accented voice, and those strange blue eyes that were different shades. He made her journey possible with his magic. Though he was menacing and seemed to thwart her every move, he gave her exactly what she needed. He made her realize her fear of growing up and deal with the troubles of adulthood like job pressures and relationships that would take her to places that she didn't want to acknowledge.

She understood his important role, all his obstacles he gave her that had made her stronger. But it was only after her first serious relationship had ended that she also came to know what Jareth had wanted in return for his services and it wasn't to rule over her. It was to have his love for her returned and she regretted her decision to reject his offers, "You have no power over me," repeated in her head. It was true, he didn't have power over her, she could see through his illusions. She had the power within her and was this power of imagination that made his world become reality and as long as she believed in it, it always would.

Her memory of her journey was blurry and she could barely see their faces in her mind. She tried to hold onto the values of her experience as she got older but these days she couldn't see anything and it made her sad.

Now at her third year of college at the NY Film Academy, the twenty year old Sarah was a drama major and had many friends in her class. Today they were studying lines out on the quad.

"When my days are filled with sorrow, it is time to take a step back and find the meaning in thy life."

Bellowed and young man, posing dramatically. Sarah was memorizing her own line as she listened to her group. Some were dressed in costume but Sarah was dressed in jeans and blue t-shirt because she had her next class soon. The day was shinning and Sarah felt herself drift into a daze, this new play reminded her of the old book she loved to read and vague memories of that strange dream she once had. When it happened she swore it was real but given her talented imagination she found herself doubting that it ever really happened at all. Not even quite believing it when her friends showed up in her room. They too must have been dreams and Sarah could never recall lost dreams.

All these thoughts danced around her head as stared into the sky. A dark cloud passed above her and she felt a shiver down her spine. She heard whispers in the wind. You've lost someone... Need your help... Need your help... Hurry. She looked around in a panic and her classmate sitting next asked if she was alright.

"Um, yeah. I'm fine." She replied. Sarah could feel that something was wrong and that she suddenly needed to be home. Fearing that something was terribly wrong, she excused herself from her study group and rushed for her car. It would take her a couple of hours to get home, because she lived in the dorms of her school, but she felt this urgency to be in her old childhood room and among her things. The drive was long in the silence so she decided to turn on the radio, the static was loud at first and she quickly turned it down. Among the static she heard something faint but recognized it immediately. "Hoggle!" She shouted and turned up the volume.

"Sarah... We... need your hel..." and the static went silent. She tried to switch channels but it was useless. Hoggle was calling to her and it sounded serious, she tried to picture him and came up blank. She stepped on the gas.


	2. Chapter 2

"Sir Hoggle, were you successful?" Asked Sir Didymus.

"I think I got through!" Shouted the dwarf, jumping excitedly making his bag of jewels jingle.

"Yay! Sawah help us?" Asked the large, shaggy haired Ludo.

"Yes, my friend. She will save us. We just have to wait for her to find it." Said Hoggle and he walked over to the window.

Outside the city was gloomy and the sky was black. Hoggle sighed as he thought to himself, what was happening to his home? It used to be a golden sight to see, with a grand Labyrinth as its center piece. The pride of his world but a few years after Sarah left it started to decay. At first everyone asked King Jareth what was happening but he refused to see anyone and locked himself away in the castle. He had changed since his defeat by the young mortal girl, he became more withdrawn from the public eye. He even stopped singing and dancing, which he loved to do, he stopped his favorite pass time, sending unruly goblins to the Bog of Eternal Stench and now he has disappeared altogether from this world.

With the King gone the Labyrinth lost its power and now the ground shakes, the sky has gone dark, and a new presence has set in. This new entity was far more menacing, slowly the goblins turned more vicious than they had ever been. The Underground was falling apart and it was now up to Hoggle and his friends to find a way to save his home. Sarah was the first thing he thought of, she would know what to do, and only she could get them the Goblin King. It took a lot to find the necessary items and magical elements to even get this close to the world above ground. King Jareth was the only one capable of contacting the other world with the talisman that he always wore as the gateway between this world and the next. When Jareth disappeared the only thing anyone was able to find was his necklace. Hoggle quickly fell into action and used fairy magics to send it to Sarah. Hopefully it's in her room now.

Sarah pulled into the drive way and cut the engine. The door opened as she approached, her step mother stood in the arch way. "Sarah? What are you doing home? Is something wrong?" She asked.

Sarah put on a smile. "I missed being home. Besides I have no classes to the next few days. Everyone is getting ready for the play." Sarah lied, well half truth, she did have a few days off of classes but she is still needed to do a lot of work at the theater before opening night. She pushed the thought aside it is more important that she be here. She gave her mother a light hug as she passed and went into the dining room to see her dad and little Toby. He giggled with delight at his sisters appearance and jumped into her arms. "Big sister! Missed you so so much. Guess what, guess what!" He jumped up and down. She patted his head.

"What?" She asked with a wink. He led her to his room and shoved a million pictures and drawings in her face. He told her how his first day at school went and all the friends he's made since. She laughed at it all and sifted through all the drawings. Many of them were from school and lots of his drawings depicted many goblins, fairies, and gnomes.

Sarah sighed, she had told her stories to him many times over the years and he loved them but she had almost forgotten most if it. "Well at least someone will still know what happened." She put down the papers as he shoved a new one in front of her. This one had Toby playing in the park with a man pushing him on the swing. "Who is he?" She asked. "He's my new best friend Sarah. His name is David and he likes the stories I tell him about the goblins. He lives in a house by the park and sometimes he plays with me." Sarah didn't have a chance to ask anything more about him when Toby moved on to other things, like his new toys. She spent a little while playing with him and chatting with her parents but all she really wanted to do was get to her room and find out what was going on with the Underground. Still it would look suspicious if she didn't spend time with her family first. She hadn't seen them in a few weeks.

It was twilight by the time she excused herself to her room for the night. "It was a tiring trip and I'm really sleepy. Goodnight everyone."

She opened up her door and saw familiar surroundings. Her room remained mostly the same as always but no toys except those precious few remained. She saw Lancelot on the bed and hugged it tight. Then she headed to her desk and saw the small red book beside her bookend of a special dwarf but it was her jewelery box that caught her eye, it had a golden necklace draped over it. She picked it up and looked at it. It was familiar but she couldn't see the face of its wearer.

"Sarah?"

The sound broke her from her thoughts with a fright, it came from the mirror and she looked in. It was her friend. "Hoggle! What is going on?"

When she looked at him, her mind that once was fogged was now flooded with his memory.

"Hoggle, I think there is something wrong with me. I can't seem to remember anything about your world and what I do remember I can barely hold on to."

Hoggle huffed. "I feared as much, Sarah. Something is trying to erase the connections between our worlds. The Underground is falling apart, I figured that the more corrupt it got the more of its memories would be lost. Sarah you must hold on to those memories. We need you to help us or the Labyrinth is going to crumble and with it our world."

Sarah looked down at the desk and thought about the Labyrinth, I remember that I ran it. It was a challenge I had to do to get my baby brother back. Then she remembered a name. "Jareth..." She said under her breath. Hoggle looked at her. "Yes Sarah. The Goblin King of Underground."

Sarah shut her eyes and focused. "I remember I wished away Toby and Jareth took him to his castle. I had to run the Labyrinth to get him back. Oh Hoggle, it's hard to remember, I don't even remember what anyone looks like." Pleaded Sarah.

"Sarah my world is fading and it's because King Jareth has vanished. We need him here, his power is what sustains our world and without him we are doomed."

Sarah listened to every word. "But Hoggle what can I do? I don't know where he is."

"We believe he might be in your world. Before he vanished, we knew his powers were waning. If he lost his powers, we think that he would become human and banished from the Underground. Sarah we need you to find him for us and get him to come back."

Sarah looked at her friend with determination. "Okay, I'll try but I don't know what he looks like."

Hoggle clapped with joy, "It won't matter if you don't. The necklace, Sarah, the necklace was his and it would be drawn to him. Human or not it will start to glow brighter and brighter when it gets near him." Sarah touched it gently, "Hoggle how do I get him back if I do find him?"

"The necklace will work in his possession. You need to hurry Sarah, there isn't much time. There is a darkness here that is growing more powerful by the day. I'm afraid that soon it will consume us. We need his power to banish it away."

Sarah smiled at him, "I'll do my best to find him, I promise." Then Hoggle stopped her, "Sarah one last thing. He might not remember anything. Banishment means having to forget who you were in the land."

Sarah sighed and put her head on the desk. "That's just great. What do I do about that?"

Hoggle shrugged, "I don't know. You will have to find some way to get him to remember. Take care Sarah, I hope to see you soon." Then his image vanished in the mirrors reflection.


	3. Chapter 3

Sarah moved to the bed. "Okay, how do I find someone?" She asked herself. First off, she went to the desk and picked up a small red book titled 'Labyrinth' and started reading. If she was going to help anyone she needed to know the story. By the end she was enthralled.

"Give me the child." She said.

"Sarah, beware. I have been generous up until now, but I can be cruel."

"Generous!" She spat. "What have you done that's generous?"

"Everything! I have done everything you wanted." He paced around her. "You asked that the child be taken. I took him. You cowered before me, I was frightening."

He stepped away from her. "I have re-ordered time. I have turned the world upside down and I have done it all for you. I am exhausted from living up to your expectations of me. Is that not generous?"

He raised his up to stop her advancements. "Stay back!"

Sarah's lips parted. "Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City..." She recited while stepping closer.

"Stop!" He shouted as he back further away.

"... and my Kingdom as great..." She said as she took another step.

Jareth held up a crystal ball. "I ask so little." He said spinning the ball. "Just believe in me, and you can have everything you want... Everything you have ever dreamed of... Your dreams, Sarah..."

But she continued on. " My Kingdom as great... Damn! I can never remember that line."

Jareth sighed in relief, he needed her to believe in him. "Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave." He pleaded while he stretched his crystal to her. But she started again.

"My Kingdom as great... Kingdom as great." Then she looked him in the eye.

"You have no power over me!"

Jareth sighed and tossed the crystal into the air. Defeated he turned into an owl and disappeared. The last thing she heard was a whisper. "Sarah...Sarah..."

Sarah was crying as she closed the book. Of all the things that happened, why didn't she ever know before? He loved her and she broke his heart without ever realizing it. Suddenly there was a strange ached in her heart. Longing.

"Hoggle! The south walls are under attack. It's the Goblins! They're revolting!" Shouted Sir Didymus as he mounted his noble steed.

"Oh no! Quick take everyone you can find. We need to stop them from reaching the castle. We just need another few days!" Shouted Hoggle while putting on a chest plate. Oh please hurry Sarah, thought Hoggle.

Sarah was out the door before anyone woke. She left a note by the door saying she would return later. When she started her car she had to pause. "Where should I start?" She asked herself and taking a deep breath. She took the necklace from her pocket and hung it up in the mirror. "I'm just going to drive around town until I pick something up, I guess."

She drove around the city until the afternoon. Nothing happened to the necklace. Sarah parked by the gardens of her favorite park.

Leaning back, she closed her eyes. "Okay, let's think for a moment. If I were a King and banished to earth what would I do? I'm probably gonna go somewhere that was familiar. So where on earth do I know?" She spoke out loud softly. She sat there for a few minutes, then it struck her.

Of course, he would come back here. She thought. "He would come back to the last place he was. My home is the last place he was, but I was away at school. So if he couldn't find me, what then? He would stay close by. Toby!" She shouted. Then she started her car, Toby told her that he had a new friend. I assumed he was an imaginary friend.

At the house Sarah ran in the door before anyone saw her and ran to Toby's room. He was playing with his toys. "Sarah! Where did you go?"

Sarah didn't say anything at first but rushed to his drawings. She found the one she was looking for and went to Toby and asked, "Who is the man in the picture?"

Toby glanced at it and back to what he was doing. "That's my friend, David. He lets me tell him all kinds of stories and plays with me. I think he lives by the park."

Sarah smiled and kissed him on the head before running out to her car. She stared at the drawing before placing on the dashboard. She was hesitant, the drawing was crude but it showed a man with short blonde hair and blue eyes wearing a dark trench coat. It didn't look like how she thought he would but it was going to have to do.

The engine roared to life and she took off towards the park. When she arrived she parked in the empty lot. She gathered the things she needed. The necklace, drawing, and book and shoved them into her purse. She walked the short distance to the other side of the park and pulled out the necklace. At first there was nothing but then it started to faintly glow. Holding out in front of her she started walking slowly and let it direct her to a house. She went one way and it started to dim so she turned around and walked faster. Soon it flickered brightly in front of a large old house and she stuffed back in her purse. Taking one last deep breath she knocked on the door and heard someone come approach and opened the door.

"Hello?" Asked the man.

She froze for a moment, not sure if she had the right person. He was handsome and looked young, though she was still much younger. He had blonde hair but it was short and wavy. He dressed in a black, well made business suit. His voice was a velvet English accent but she was confused when he didn't recognize her. He only looked at her with a friendly smile but she knew from his eyes that it was him.

"It's you." She whispered to herself. He looked at her with confusion.

"Can I help you, miss?" He asked again which jolted her back to reality.

"Uh, yes. I'm sorry my name is Sarah Williams." She smiled at him.

He grinned at her. "What can I do for you, Miss Williams?"

She pulled out the drawing and showed it to him. "Um, do you know my little brother Toby?"

He took from her and smiled. "Ah yes, little Toby. What a lively little chap always telling great stories about goblins. Please do come in." He stepped aside to let her pass.

Sarah walked into the hall and noticed that it was almost barren of decorations. She went into the living room and sat on the sofa.

"You'll have to excuse the place. I just moved recently and my things haven't arrived yet. Would you like anything to drink?"

She smiled at him nervously. "No I'm fine. Thank you."

He sat down in the chair next to her. "So what brings you here then? Did something happen to Toby?"

"Oh no, he's just fine." She dug threw her purse and pulled out the book and handed it to him. "Do you recognize this?"

He took it and the smile disappeared from his face. "Um, it looks familiar but I haven't the foggiest clue." He looked back to her again and tried to hand it back.

"No keep it, please. It's really important that you have it. I have to tell you something that you're not going to believe, but I swear it's the truth." Sarah closed her eyes, took a deep breath and turned to him. "Do you remember the Underground?"

He didn't answer but just stared at her. She then continued to tell him about the Labyrinth and the Goblin King.

He didn't say a word as he listened but the things she was saying felt familiar. Especially when she told him about the King falling in love with a mortal girl and she had rejected him. He could almost see it in his head.

When she was finished with her story he got up and paced a little. "Well that was a fantastic story. Now I know where your brother gets his stories from."

Sarah sighed heavily. "No it's the truth. I know it sounds crazy but you have to believe me. Because you are the Goblin King Jareth."

He laughed at her. "Me? A Goblin King? Sweet girl, I think you've gone mad. What kind of name is Jareth anyway?"

Sarah stood up to face him and he stopped pacing.

"What do you remember from your life before you were human? What do you even remember from before a few weeks ago? Think about it."

He did and the funny thing was, everything seemed to be foggy. He closed his eyes and tried to focus. He just moved here but where from? Suddenly he was upset, this girl was making him upset, who was she? Then he moved back a step. "Okay, I've had enough crazy talk for one day. It's time you go now."

Sarah smiled at him. "You don't remember, do you? You can't think of where you came from. You see, I was right."

He looked away from her in anger, something about her arrogance bothered him. "Now listen Miss Williams, you shouldn't be harassing your neighbors like this. You're a very stunning young woman, why don't you go bother your boyfriend or something?" He looked away when he said that.

Where did that come from? Why does it matter if she has a boyfriend or not? It's not like I'm into her, she's so young barely out of her teens and yet I find myself strangely attracted to her. I must be losing my mind.

Sarah was stunned to hear that and she saw the embarrassment he felt after he said it as well. She almost thought he could be jealous.

Scowling hard at him she spoke fast. "Okay first of all not that it's any of your business but I am not dating anyone at the moment. Second, I'm here for you because I need your help. You are the only one who can save the Underground from being destroyed. I know that you don't remember but you are King Jareth."


	4. Chapter 4

"No it's not true. My name is David Block, I was born in England and I moved here from the city three weeks ago. We are done here now leave." He shouted pointing to the door. What is this strange girl even doing here? Why is he even bothered by her so much? It was at the tip of his tongue but he couldn't reach it.

Sarah was completely outraged, why did he always have to be so stubborn? Well, I can see how this must be on him so I will give him sometime to think it over. "Fine, I'll go but I will be back. I can be every bit as stubborn as you are. See you soon David." With that she stormed out the front door, leaving David completely stunned watching her go. He didn't move an inch while staring at the door unable to process what had just happened. This strange woman had practically barged into his home and told him that he was a fantasy character, then she just expected him to believe every word.

"She's got fire that's for sure. What a strange woman."

David had woken up late for work and rushed around the house getting ready. He shouldn't have stayed up so late reading that little red book but once he started he couldn't stop. That book was so enthralling that had sunk itself in his head during the night. The images of the labyrinth and the young girls quest had danced throughout his dreams.

He was dressed in a grey suit and quickly rushed into the kitchen. It was filled with the scent of fresh coffee. Thank god I bought the automatic coffee machine, he thought to himself while pouring a cup. He chugged it down and grabbed two fuzzy peaches from the counter. Grabbing his suitcase and throwing his trench coat on he bolted out the door with a peach in his mouth. The first thing he saw after the blinding sunlight was Sarah waiting by his car with a cup of coffee in hand. She was dressed in a light flowered dress with a blue jean jacket. He stopped dead in his tracks with surprise but quickly rolled his eyes at her while finishing his bite. "What do you want now? To tell me that Peter Pan has been captured by Hook?" He laughed.

She glared at him while taking another sip. "I told you that I'd be back. I don't have classes for the rest of the week, so I have all this time devoted to making your life into a living hell until you see things my way. So, off to work are we?" Emphasis on the we, she thought.

He took another bite of his peach and finished pulling on his coat. "You are not following me to work. I am very late, now please go away."

She only scowled at him and leaned on the driver's door blocking his way.

What is with this woman? Is she going to do this everyday? I could get used to that, he thought to himself. Pinching his nose and closing his eyes he sighed. "Sarah, please move. I am late."

"Well, let's make a deal then. Take me with you and we'll spend the day getting to know each other. If by the end, you still don't believe me then I will leave you alone forever."

He sighed looking at his watch. Damn I'm going to miss this mornings meeting.

"Tick, tock." She said with a smile while pointing to her non-existent watch.

"Fine." He growled under his breath. "But don't you dare interfere with my work. If anyone asks, you're just a student observer. Got it?"

She smiled brightly in her triumph, moving away from the door and going to the other side. He quickly went in and unlocked the passenger door.

"Nice suit by the way, makes you look all dashing." She said openly looking him over while buckling her seat belt. He smirked at her, he knew that he was a handsome man for he didn't lack in female attention. Some have even accused him of being a playboy but he only told them that he was waiting for the one. The one he could never seem to find.

"Don't let it inflate your ego. Mr. Charming, I bet you have a lot of female callers don't you?" She smiled but also seemed actually a bit jealous. He didn't answer her but the smile on his face grew bigger.

He finished his peach quickly and tossed the pit on the ground before starting the car. He noticed her staring at his second peach and rolled it down his elbow to her. She caught it and smiled. "So you like peaches huh? Well, that shouldn't really surprise me. After all it was a peach you gave to me to give me a drug induced illusion." She spoke while taking a small bite.

He glared at her. "That's another condition of this deal. No talking about your crazy hallucinations. Not to me or anyone else, understand? I don't want anyone to know that my stalker is crazy as well."

She scowled again at him. "Stalker?" She scoffed but then shrugged. "Maybe, but I am not crazy. What I told you before is very real and you are a very important part in that 'hallucination' but I understand that you need time for it to sink in, so I won't mention it again. For now."

The car ride was a very long commute and they sat in silence most of the way until traffic became to thick, stalling his efforts to make it to the office. Sarah started fiddling with the radio but turned it off when she couldn't find anything good to listen to. "David? Can you actually do real juggling, like other than a peach?" Her attempt at making small talk was amusing to him, she obviously didn't have much experience in many adult conversations.

"Yes actually. Back in college, I did Contact Juggling as away for making a few extra bucks. A fading art I'm afraid and I don't think I can do much of it anymore." He was suddenly uncomfortable talking about his college days around her, it made him feel his age compared to the young beauty sitting beside him. She was at most only in her early twenties, almost two decades younger than he. He felt that it was almost wrong of him to even think of her as anything other than a child, still he couldn't help but be attracted to this stunning woman. He was male after all, he thought in his defense.

As if reading his thoughts she asked the question he was fearing. "How old are you? What kind of job do you have?"

His hand tightened on the steering wheel and swallowed hard. "I am thirty-seven going on seventy, due to my job. I am a merger contractor in a very competitive company. I have to always be on the top of my game or be replaced. Not very glamorous but it pays very well."

"Thirty seven." She repeated, trying not to sound shocked so she tried to sound uninterested. "Well, you definitely don't look it. I mean, you look like a hot rock star in his twenties. What's your secret?" Her face blushed a deep red when she realized what she had said. She just confessed that she finds him attractive but he didn't say anything. Sarah bit her lip in thought, he was almost twenty years older than her, wow. But looking at him now he didn't really look out of his twenties yet.

She saw him glance down in embarrassment over this confession and decided not to press it further. "So, your job sucks. Why do you do it then?"

"Well, it's more out of duty than liking it really. It's my job and I will do it to the best of abilities." He stated. There had been a break in traffic and he quickly took his chance to squeeze through.

"How very noble of you. Just like the Goblin King, he didn't like his situation much either but he took his duties seriously." Sarah said before stopping herself. "I mean, um. I'm sorry I forgot."

He didn't look at her but just sighed. "It's going to be a very long day, isn't it?" He asked more to himself than her.

They pulled into the underground parking lot and got in the elevator. Sarah didn't say a word since that awkward conversation fifteen minutes ago. David seemed to be a bit distracted himself. The elevator doors opened on the top floor and they got off. Then David stepped in front of her. "Now remember our deal Sarah. No talking about the Goblin King or why you are here. What do you say when they ask about you?" He wasn't being too serious but she understood he meant it. "I say that I'm a student and observing you throughout the day. I understand, David."

She felt a bit buzzed at this situation. Finally, I can get some real experience in acting. He gave her one last glance before taking her hand and leading the way to the office. The desk clerk waved him over. "Mr. Block, I have your messages here for you." Said the blonde secretary handing him his notes. She gave Sarah a death glared before turning back to David with a bright smile. He wasn't paying attention though as he sifted through the small pile of messages. Sarah just gaped in shock. Wow, I can't believe what is happening here, she thought. The woman shot her another glare while looking her over and sitting down. David said his thanks and led them away.

"Wow, is she ever catty. Did you see the death glare she gave me?" Said Sarah looking back.

David turned back to see her but she was out of view. "Really? Well, I'm not surprised. She's had a little crush on me for quite sometime now and seeing a beautiful woman like you with me is probably something she won't like." He arrogant smile was back in full swing. Sarah sighed, ego alert.

"Again with the ego. What am I going to do with you?" She said with a smile and lightly slapping his arm. It only made him smile brighter as he opened the door to his office for her. She stepped inside the huge office and saw a middle-aged woman standing by his desk. "David where have you been? You missed the briefing today."

David stepped in front of Sarah almost protectively but it was more like he didn't want anyone to see her, which was a little insulting, she thought. None the less Sarah tried to be invisible.

"I've been stuck in traffic for hours but I'm here now with the merger contracts. They are all filled out and signed. I was going to save it as a surprise but now is a good time. The merger is complete." David spoke with a great amount of pride and the woman sighed with a smile. "You've done it again, completely blown everyone out of the water. Congratulations David!" Said the woman and bracing him in a hug. That's when she noticed Sarah standing ever so inconspicuously behind David.

"Oh, hello. I'm sorry, I didn't notice you there. Patricia Cartwright, Co-founder." Said the woman with a light accent and extended her hand to Sarah. "Hello, I'm Sarah Williams. Pleased to meet you."

David stepped in between them. "Sarah here is a student studying in this field and I was kind enough to let her be a silent observer for the day." He said while giving Sarah a discreet look that warned her to play along.

Before anyone could say another word he led the woman out of the office talking about a celebratory dinner. Sarah watched them leave and shut the door quietly. She gave a big huff as she sat on his couch and fell asleep waiting for him to return.

After David left his office he noticed that it was already past two and he was starving. He went across the street to his favorite café and bought two large chicken wraps and salads before heading back. He was only gone about twenty minutes and wondered what Sarah was doing at that moment. He almost dropped the food trying to open his office door and stumbled inside. He blinked confusingly when he didn't see her right away and found her asleep on his couch. He placed the food on his desk and went over to her. She looked like an angel in her sleep and he found himself touching her hair. "You precious thing, who are you?"


	5. Chapter 5

He didn't want to disturb her sleep so he let her rest and put her food in his mini fridge. He covered her with his coat before sitting at his desk. He managed to get through most of his work by the time she started to wake.

Sarah fluttered her eyes from sleep and sat up stretching.

"Have a good nap?"

She flinched when she realized she was being watched. "God, you scared me. I forgot I was here with you." Then she yawned. "But yes, I had a good nap. Had to get up really early to make sure we would run into each other." She said with a wink. He chuckled at her and pointed to the fridge. "I saved your lunch for you. I bet you're starving."

She smiled and darted to the fridge. "Awesome. You are the best." She stretched each word while grabbing the bag. She opened it and devoured her meal in a blink of an eye, not caring whether it was dignified or not.

"So you are a healthy eater person, huh? The peaches this morning and for lunch chicken wraps and salads. Do you have something against cheeseburgers?"

He finished what he was writing before answering. "You mean besides the future heart attack? I like to take care of myself. That's the big secret you were asking for earlier."

"I see. So who was the woman from earlier?"

"She's my boss." He replied not looking up from his papers. Sarah drew her brows together as something crossed her mind.

"Is she your mom?" She asked. He paused and looked up at her, trying not to look so shocked. How in the bloody hell did she guess something like that? He wondered but Sarah saw through his cool tone anyway so he didn't bother hiding.

"She's my aunt. This is her business in the states and my mother runs its counter part back in England." He tried to make it sound like an unimportant fact but his nerve was completely shocked. Sarah gaped at him openly. "You mean that your family is super rich? Are you like an heir to the business throne or something?"

He lowered his head. "Why do you have to be so dramatic? In a way, I'm here to learn the business and work my way up. I get no special treatment here, if I screw something up, I will be replaced."

Sarah sneered at him. "You think I'm being over dramatic? You just told me that you're a billionaire!" David stood quickly and rushed to close the door. "Sarah please be quiet. No one knows who I am and I don't want them to find out. I don't need that kind of attention."

Sarah scoffed at him. "You're kidding right? No one knows? How did you pull that off?" She had many more questions to ask but he placed a hand on her shoulder to seat her back down.

"Let's just say that my mother thought I needed a change. I was a little spoiled back home and it started to affect my work."

"So basically you were being a brat and didn't do your homework. I bet you were out living the high life without a care in the world. Am I close?" Sneered Sarah. He glared at her, she always seemed to make him want to scream. "You could say that. My mother gave me an ultimatum. I either move to the branch in America and begin a new or I'm cut off. She always favored raising me with 'Tough Love' as she would say."

Sarah got up and paced the floor. "Oh my god! How arrogant can you be? You've taken your whole privileged life for granted and now you're pouting about 'Tough Love'? I should have known that you would never change. You will always be the spoiled Goblin king!"

With her outburst he shot up. This was the last straw for him and he couldn't hold back any longer. This woman had been a thorn in his side for far too long.

Now she was going to accuse him of arrogance! "That is enough, Sarah! How can you of all people accuse me of arrogance? You don't know me or my life. So back off! You are just this crazy woman who is stalking me and you think I'm going to listen to you? I asked you to not speak of your delusions in my office."

He had backed Sarah into a corner and she felt a strange sense of fear and a calm understanding all at once. She felt the adrenalin snake threw her veins but also a hint of something else. She shocked herself at how much she wanted to kiss him right then. He was a fine display of elegance and power, it was intoxicating to her and she couldn't stop herself in time. She had already lunged at him, kissing him deeply, her hands held his head in place as he struggled against her briefly before he quickly gave up and held her tight to his lips, his skilled tongue parting her lips with ease. He pushed her into the wall with a thud and she closed her eyes letting him take over. He kissed trails down her neck before stopping at one single point that made her gasp in pleasure. Then his mind kicked into over drive and he started to hike up her dress before something in him screamed at him to stop. He suddenly pushed himself away and sat on the couch with his face in his hands.

Sarah stood for a moment gasping and then slowly righted her dress and moved to sit beside him. His face was still buried in his hands and she put a hand on his shoulders. "I'm sorry." Was all she said and they sat in silence for a while.

"I apologize for my behavior Sarah. I shouldn't have yelled at you like that." He huffed while leaning back on the couch with eyes still closed. Sarah gave a small smile. "It's fine. I definitely deserved it, I shouldn't have said what I said. You are right, I don't know you. I keep thinking you are just like him, in a lot of ways you are but you are also a completely different person. But that's why I'm here, to get to know you. So, friends?" She asked with her most charming smile. He peeked at her through one eye and saw her pouting, he couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, friends." He looked at her with astonishment, she couldn't be mad for more than a minute, nothing seemed to faze her sunny outlook on life. He felt like a different person when he was around her. He didn't consider himself a hard man but he did have a strong outer shell, some might say he was a bit ruthless at times. He needed to show that side a lot in this cut throat world of business mergers. He got up from the couch and gathered his things into his briefcase. "I'm pretty much done for the day. You want to get out of here?"

She smiled and bounced off the couch. "Yes!"

They spent the rest of the afternoon walking around in the park, playing twenty questions about each other. So far they were evenly matched, complete opposites.

"So you did read the book!" She exclaimed with a smile. He looked away with embarrassment. "Yeah, I did and I still say that it is a little creepy. I mean the guy is practically robbing the cradle."

"Well, it's not about their age difference or him just winning for the sake of it. It's a coming of age story where she was forced to deal with growing up and taking responsibility for her actions. It's also not cradle robbing when he is immortal I'm sure he would have waited for her. Besides age is nothing when compared to true love, he couldn't help but fall for her." She explained it all to him with a practiced speech. He listened intently to her words, it all seemed so familiar to him but he pushed the thought away.

"If they are supposed to be you and I then why do you talk about it in the third person?"

Sarah took a deep breath. "Um, it's because I don't remember any of it. I only know what I read in the book and what my friend Hoggle told me. My memories faded when the Labyrinth started to crumble."

He looked at her confusingly. "Who's Higgle?"

Sarah burst out laughing. "It's Hoggle! He is the caretaker of the Labyrinth. You hated him for helping me and you used to threaten him a lot."

"Interesting. Still this Jareth character sounds like an ass the way he keeps messing up her quest and I'm suppose to believe that she's in love with him after all that. How can she even stand him?"

"You tell me. That's us in another life David." She said turning to look at him. He was going to scold her again for talking about this crazy delusion but she looked quite serious about her question. He sighed and went to sit on the nearest bench. "Sarah, please. Not this again, I don't want to discuss this any further. Let's just enjoy the day."

Sarah stared at him with piercing eyes, she wanted to start shouting at him but decided against it. She had made good progress, getting him to even talk about the book and she wasn't about to ruin that. Instead she sat by him and changed the subject. "So, David. What's being rich like? It must be great if you don't want your mother cutting you off that bad."

It was his turn to glare at her. "Why do you like to push my buttons? It's almost like you do it on purpose."

She shrugged and smiled. "You make it easy."

He huffed. "You didn't let me finish before you started biting my head off in the office. That ultimatum my mother gave me happened almost 15 years ago. I hated it at first but after a while I began to enjoy my life here, it was freeing not to have people trying to either sabotage my name or kiss up to the CEO's son. When she called by the end of that first year to tell me that I could go home, I was shocked. She told me that she had my aunt keep a close eye on me and was glad to hear that my attitude did a complete one-eighty. I told her that I was going to stay and keep my place in the business. She was stunned but she understood. I love the freedom I get here."

Sarah was almost in tears but she held them back. He was a completely different person from what she first thought of him. She took him by surprise with a hug. "You are one amazing guy, David." She held him tight for a full minute before letting him go. He just stared at her unmoving and she became confused. "What, I'm not allowed to give you a hug?" She asked.

"Sarah, you are the strangest person I've ever met. You showed up on my door step out of the blue, telling me I'm the fictional character from your book and you want me to go back with you. Then you stalked me and forced me to take you with me to my place of work. You practically bite my head off after finding out that I'm well off, when most people would kiss my ass for being rich. Now you hug me for telling you that I gave up my life of privilege. You are so backwards and... and..." He suddenly went to kiss her soft full lips, her hand cupped the side of his face. It lasted until they were breathless and lips swollen. He held her hand tight to his chest as he soaked in her beauty. Her bright olive-green eyes were glistening and her dark hair shinned in the light.

"Wow, I felt that in my bones." She said like a joke but she meant it. Her heart was pounding and she could feel his beat wildly in his chest.

"How easy was it for you to turn my world upside down in one day?"

Sarah laughed under her breath. "Easy. I've done it before."


	6. Chapter 6

"Sarah!" Came a shout from behind David. Toby rushed into her arms.

"Toby. What are you doing here?" She asked playfully. Toby didn't answer when he realized David sitting next to them. "David!" He shouted jumping into his arms. David smiled picking up the child. "Hey, Toby. How are you doing today?" He asked making Toby giggle in laughter as he tickled him. "I had lots of fun in music time." Said the tiny blonde cherub before Karen strolled up to them. "Sarah where have you been all day?" She asked obviously irritated. Sarah blushed at the scene Karen was making, scolding her like a child.

"She was with me all day." David said looking towards Karen. She stopped and smiled. "Oh, David. Nice to see you again. I didn't know that you are acquainted with my daughter."

Sarah was confused at first. How did they know each other? She wondered but then she figured it out. Toby met David in the park and Karen must have been there as well.

"I introduced myself to David. I wanted to meet him after all the great things Toby mentioned to me. When I found out what he did for a living I asked to tag along." Said Sarah confidently, she was proud of how quick she could think on the spot.

"She was observing me at my place of work, to see the business world first hand." David said while passing Toby back to Sarah and standing to greet Karen. Karen shook his hand with a wild smile. "Oh, Sarah never mentioned she was interested in studying business. How nice of you to let her see you at work."

"It was my pleasure, Sarah is a very bright young woman." He answered with his most charming smile, making Karen melt like butter. Sarah felt a bit jealous watching their exchange with disgust. She stood next to David. "I'm was just checking out my options. Theater, Business, so many things to keep track of."

Karen looked at her with surprise, as if she had forgotten Sarah was even there. "Well, that's wonderful. Sarah. I'm glad to see you taking initiative. Do you mind watching Toby for a while? I've got a few errands to run before dinner."

"Sure, no problem." Replied Sarah with a smile as Toby clung to her hand. Karen said to her thanks again to David and left.

"Well, that was awkward." Stated Sarah while picking up Toby. David turned to smile at her. "Jealous are we?" He asked with a sly grin. She scowled at him playfully and turned towards to play area.

"Sarah, is David your new boyfriend?" Asked little Toby with a devilish smirk. He knew what to say to make her blush a deep red. She could only gape at him before turning to look at David. His grin only got wider when he saw her blush. She put Toby down. "Oh you little brat. Go play." He stuck his tongue out at her before taking off.

She let out a sigh and sat on the bench. "Out with it." She said to David when he sat down. "What?" Was all he said but he knew what she meant.

"Go on, start with the mocking comments. I know you're dying to laugh about it. God how embarrassing." She said before hiding her face in her hands. He only smiled and placed her arm around her shoulders. "I've got nothing to say, but you didn't answer his question."

Sarah giggle in her hands. "I can't say, we've only known each other a day."

He leaned closer to her and whispered into her ear. "Feels like we've known each other for ages."

His warm breath tickled her neck and she giggle. "That tickles."

He chuckled and gave her a kiss on the cheek before moving away. "So, how did you and Toby meet anyway?" She asked.

"I'd come to the park to relax and read. A few weeks ago, Toby got his toy plane stuck in a tree and I helped him get it down. He started talking to me like old friends, took me by surprise because this random child wouldn't stop chatting away. The next day he came right up to me and started chatting away and telling me stories. I suppose he wanted someone to keep him company so I let him stay."

Sarah leaned against him. "So you guys just hit it off like old buddies? Awesome. I guess he just wanted someone to play with. He took it hard when I left for school a few years ago and there aren't many kids his age in the neighborhood. I'm glad he found you."

They watched Toby play for a few hours before he played himself out and fell asleep on Sarah's lap. "Time to get you home."

David picked him up and slung him on his shoulder. With his free arm he wrapped it around her shoulders as they walked to his car. They didn't say much of anything during the car ride home but were instead content with being in each others presence. He pulled up in her driveway and helped bring Toby to the door. Karen opened the door before they reached it. "He fell asleep in the park." Said Sarah and David handed him over. She went to put him in his bed. Leaving them alone to say goodnight.

Neither of them said a word at first, just watched the sky in its final transition into dusk. "I had a great day with you David. I've learned a lot about you today."

David smiled at her. "Yes, it turned out to be a great day. I can't believe how much can happen in one day."

Sarah caressed his face gently leaning down from the top step for a kiss. "Yep, a lot can happen." He gave her another kiss before saying goodnight.

Sarah closed the door gently, the goofy grin still on her face when she spotted her parents staring at her from the dinning room. She took a deep breath and sat the table trying to look nonchalant. She filled her plate without looking at them. It was her father that broke the silence. "Sarah, what are you doing with David Block? I don't like the way he was looking at you. You can't seriously be thinking about having a relationship with him? He is way too old for you." He tried to sound as intimidating as he could. Sarah blanched at the comment, she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Karen quickly spoke up, telling her husband that Sarah was only showing interest in the business world. "Besides dear, he is the one that Toby plays with at the park. He seems like a really nice man."

Sarah was thankful that Karen was taking her side but the situation was making her feel sick. Her dad was adamant. "How old is he anyways? He looks much too old for you Sarah."

Sarah had just about enough, she was an adult and didn't need her parents scolding her about men. "Dad, I'm an adult now. Stop trying to control my life. It doesn't matter how old he is, or how successful he is. It should only matter that your daughter has finally found someone who can appreciate her. Shouldn't it Dad?"

He didn't have to reply because she had already left for her room.


	7. Chapter 7

She sighed as she closed the door.

"Sarah!" Shouted Hoggle from the mirrors reflection. He had paced her floor for a while. "Sarah, what took you so long? Did you find him? Is he coming back?"

Sarah sat at her desk. "Hoggle, I did find him and I told him everything but he refuses to remember anything. He thinks I'm crazy. I can't force him to come back if he doesn't even believe the Underground exists. What should I do?"

He turned serious. "Sarah you have to get back here as soon as possible. We don't have very long here, the Labyrinth is under attack and we can't hold them off for longer. We need him here now."

Sarah stared at him in shock, she didn't know it had gotten that bad.

She stood from her seat. "I'll go now." She took the necklace from her jewelery box and shoved it into her purse. She rushed past the dinning room and flew out the door. She didn't want to have to talk to her parents now. It took only a few minutes to reach his house and she pulled into his drive way. He opened the door before she got out of her car. "Sarah? What are you doing here?" He asked confused.

She rushed into his arms and led him to the living room. "David the Underground is in major trouble! They are under attack now. We have to go."

He gently pushed her away and started pacing. "Sarah, not this again. I told you that I don't want to talk about it. Why do you have to ruin such a good day?"

Sarah grew angry. "David, we did have a great day and I don't want to ruin anything but I'm telling you the truth whether you want to hear it or not."

He saw her pull something from her purse, a large golden necklace. His heart skipped a beat, he recognized it. As he stared, it started to glow in her hand. He saw his hand moving slowly to it. Then they were both touching it and suddenly things started to clear. Both of them held tight to each others hand as the images and memories came flooding.

Sarah smiled, she saw it clearly now. Sir Didymus, Ludo, Hoggle, the Labyrinth, and Jareth.

He saw it all flash before his eyes. He was the ruler of the Underground kingdom, he was an immortal sorcerer. He remembered everything now, that his life here was fabricated by a spell and it wasn't real. He also remembered why he had went through all the trouble of creating a new life.

She turned towards him and saw his expression change. He tightened his grip on hers but didn't hurt her.

"Jareth?" She asked quietly. He frowned at her.

"What have you done? You've ruined everything!" He growled at her. His anger at her was back in full force and he let go of her hand taking back the necklace and placing it on himself.

"Jareth, the Underground Kingdom is in major trouble. We have to go back there. They need your help." She pleaded but still keeping her distance for he seemed angry. He laughed at her.

"What do I care of that place? I left it for a reason. Let them rot."

Sarah shook her head in disbelief. "You left on your own? I thought you were banished by the Labyrinth."

He smiled at her. "Sarah, What do you want from me?"

She glanced at him. "What do you mean? I told you, the Underground Kingdom can't survive without you there. It is gonna be destroyed and they need you to save them. Jareth, I know you're mad at me but please don't take it out on them."

He scoffed at her. "Ha, I don't care about them. Those sniveling little scabs with barely the brains of a dog. I left that place and I won't go back. Not even for you."

Sarah closed her eyes in frustration, he was definitely Jareth. Always trying to get a rise out of her, why is he so stubborn?

"Why?" She asked.

"Why, what?" He sneered.

"Why, won't you go back to the Labyrinth? Why have you come here? Please tell me."

Her eyes started to glisten. His faced was blank as he looked upon her.

"Isn't it obvious?"

A tear escaped her eye, "I don't know, please tell me."

He paced in front of her. "You."

"Me?" she asked, the one word was loaded with many meanings, leaving her confused. "Because I defeated you?" She asked.

He smiled at her and summoned a crystal and tossed it to her. She caught it and stared into it. It replayed what happened outside of the Escher room. How he offered her dreams, but she still rejected him. How he left her at her house. Then the crystal glowed and showed the Kingdom after she was gone. How he became depressed and the Kingdom became dull to him as everything reminded him of his loss. Soon it started to become too painful to bear and he decided to leave. He, himself, had wiped away his memories of her and went to live as a human. Then the crystal was blank and she looked back at him.

"You were trying to forget me and what happened because you were in pain."

He looked deep into her eyes. "Now you understand. Sarah, you rejected me after all I've done for you and gave you what you needed. You wanted a villain, I gave you one. You didn't want a 'Prince Charming' so I gave you a King. I did everything you wanted and asked nothing of you accept for your affections but then you still cast me out like trash."

Sarah could see the pain in his eyes, his menacing demeanor gone. Now it was just raw emotion.

"You nearly destroyed my world when you uttered those dreadful words. I was dependent on your belief in me and I needed your dreams to keep our worlds bonded. Still even after you left me I've waited for you. I waited for five long years for you to grow up and realize what I meant to you. Then I realized that you were never coming back, you would never call me again. You took something with you when you left, a powerful magic, my heart. Without it and you, I became almost nothing and I was fading. So I cast a spell on myself and broke any bond I had to you and I left from that torturous place. However, just leaving wasn't going to solve everything. I needed to forget it all, so I made the decision to come here and be human."

He was silent for a while but he remained steady. Then he backed away, "I represented your fears to help you grow stronger to over come them and I was well aware that I was not the hero in your eyes. But along the way I saw you change into a much stronger, braver girl and I didn't want to be the villain anymore. So I tried to keep you with me by offering you, your dreams. I should have figured that you would be defiant because I will always be a villain to you. That's why I wanted to leave, I wanted a fresh start, so I fabricated a life here in this world. I was happy here, so why did you have to ruin that for me? You have caused me enough pain and now you are doing it again. You barged into my life again and turned it upside down, Why can't you just leave me alone?"


	8. Chapter 8

Sarah had barely taken a breath as she listened to him. She remembered everything now, and saw his broken heart. Suddenly she rushed over to him but he stepped away from her touch. "Stop! You can't come near me." He shouted and she froze in place. He didn't look mad but it looked more like fear. "Jareth, I'm so sorry. I know that I hurt you, I didn't understand back then that my actions had terrible consequences but I understand now. Today was the greatest day of my life because I got to know you."

She took a step forward and he held a hand up for her to stop. "Sarah, don't. We cannot touch." He didn't look any different but he had felt himself change on the inside. He was back in his true form, an immortal sorcerer.

She stopped. "What do you mean? Why can't I touch you?"

He relaxed a little but didn't move. "My spell is broken. The one that brought me here and made me human. I don't know if it still keeps me human now, if not then I could very well disappear from existence."

Sarah gasped. "What?" She obviously didn't fully understand.

"In my true form I cannot be physically contacted or I would disappear into oblivion. My spell allowed me to have physical form but I don't know if it remains in tact. I don't really want to risk it." He didn't explain it all to her as he spoke with a bitterness that cut her to the bone. It was her fault that the spell was broken.

"Are you sure that it is broken? How can you know if you don't try?"

She didn't wait for him to respond before extending her hand. She didn't touch him but let her finger almost touch his. They both held their breath as she slowly touched the tip of his finger. Nothing seemed to happened so she held his whole hand. They waited and still nothing happened, she huffed a smile before rushing into his arms which seemed awkward because he was stiff under her. He had never touched her in his true form before and was actually terrified. He held stiff for a moment, unsure if he really felt her touch.

He was always careful not to physically contact her when she was running his Labyrinth because he did not really exist, it would ruin the magic of her dream if she passed right through him. He had longed to caress her but he was unable to do so until she ate the tainted peach. Only in the ballroom illusion was he able to touch her and he never wanted to stop but she saw through his illusion and escaped through the mirrors.

In the Escher room he had given up on his plan to defeat her, her will was too strong, so he showed her it was all a dream when he passed right through her. It was too late for him to try to stop her but as he had already fallen in love with her. So, he tried one last attempt on keeping her with him by offering her dreams again and pleaded with her to let him stay. In her young mind she thought it to be trickery and refused him, she just didn't get what he was saying. He was almost destroyed when she told him the rights words, fading back into oblivion but something happened to him during his time with her. His magic became real and he became powerful enough to stay . He didn't need her to believe in him anymore, for he had become real. But still he heart ached for her until he could bear it no longer and left his new formed reality to be closer to her. Even if he wouldn't remember her, he would still be near her and that was enough for him to make his final decision.

"I am so sorry. Jareth please believe me when I say that I'm sorry. I didn't understand what you meant to me back then. But not long after I was home I realized what you have done for me and I regretted my choice ever since, because then it was too late. I never thought I would have the chance to tell you that from the moment I saw you appear before me I knew you were my dream come true. You were everything I imagined my prince charming would be, elegant, handsome, and with a touch of arrogance but I couldn't accept your offer, I didn't want to leave my brother behind to have my dreams come true. You brought to life my fears and challenged me to grow up and that's something I will always be grateful for." She sobbed into his chest.

He listened to her intently, trying to figure out what she was telling him. Why was she always so hard to read? He backed away from her."What are you saying?"

"I am no longer the spoiled brat you once knew, I know who I am now and I know what I want. You were always important to me, even if you played the villain. I didn't need a hero or a prince charming, I needed a King to show me what my fears are and help me over come them. My life was incomplete without you and I don't want to be without you anymore."

He didn't say a word right away but watched her. "You want to be with me? Even if it means that we stay in my world?"

"Yes, it doesn't matter where we are. I love my home but I also love yours. The only thing I will miss is my family. It will be hard to not see them but they will understand."

He then rushed to her and kissed her deeply. She felt the world shake at this kiss. He could feel his power strengthen as they clung to each other. It lasted until both needed air and Sarah opened her eyes, they were standing at the castle door.

She smiled at him, "We're here!" She hugged him tight. But looking around, everything was dark and broken. "What happened?"

Jareth didn't look to happy while looking around and he led her to the throne room. Inside the hall was in chaos as every creäture in the Kingdom was scurrying around in panic. No one even noticed that Jareth had entered the room and it didn't please him. "Enough!" He shouted and with one swooping motion Jareth had all the lighting blazing and everyone stopped in place. "Now, what is happening to my Kingdom? Anyone?"

"King Jareth! I'm so glad to see that you have returned. There is a dark force invading at the south walls. It has affected most of Kingdom." Came a voice over the crowed and Hoggle stepped into view.

Jareth held his composure, unflinching. "Well, well Hogbrain. Am I to assume that you are the brave leader of this sordid lot?"

Hoggle moved closer and bowed. "Well, I suppose so your majesty."

Jareth smirked. "No longer a cowered, I see. Well done."

Then Hoggle spotted her hiding just behind Jareth and he jumped for joy, "Sarah! You're back."

Sarah smiled at him as she squeezed him tightly. "Hello my dear friend... Where are the others?"

Hoggle glanced down to the floor. "I haven't seen them since the first attacks. I fear that they have been lost in battle."

Sarah gasped in horror and clung to Jareth for comfort. Hoggle saw her do this and was a little confused but quickly understood as Jareth wrapped one arm around her and spoke aloud. "I have returned with my champion to save this land. It won't be easy but I know we will win this invasion!"

Everyone cheered loudly at their King's word. "Now all of you leave me in peace. I must prepare."

The goblins were still cheering for him and didn't make a move to leave. Then Jareth shouted out, "Go! Or I'll send you all to the Bog of Eternal Stench."

And with that they all scattered, it was Hoggle who was last to leave because he wanted to say goodbye to Sarah. "Thank you for helping us. I knew you could do it."

"Hoggle, I would do anything for my friends." She said while hugging him. Jareth stepped closer. "Hogwart, is it true that you did all this yourself? Created an entire army?"

"Well sire, Ludo and Sir Didymus started it all and it turns out I have a head for strategy but now it's only I that stands." Stammered the little dwarf, then he looked Jareth up and down. "King Jareth, what are you wearing?"

Sarah giggled at that, she didn't even notice that Jareth still looked like he did above ground. Jareth stood from his spot and laughed. "Yes, it seems that I've forgotten my appearance. This is called a business suit, my job required that I wear these. But I suppose I do need to dress appropriately." With that he drew a crystal and tossed it above himself. It burst into a cloud of glitter and smoke, covering him completely. When it disappeared he was dressed in leather armored pants and chest plate over his shirt. His hair however remained short. Sarah just gaped in amazement, he really was an alluring man. He stood there straightening his clothes."Better?" He asked without looking. Sarah smiled. "It suits you very well but you look so different with your hair."

"Good or bad?" He asked with a smirk.

"Very good." Said Sarah while looking him over. He saw her and smiled, then drew another crystal and tossed it above her. When the dust cleared she saw herself dressed in the same fashion as Jareth. "Can't have you under dressed as well. Especially in times of war."

Hoggle saw the way they looking at each other and figured it's time he left. "Well I'll just go get everyone ready." He bowed and left.


	9. Chapter 9

When they were alone Jareth spoke. "What is the matter?"

Sarah sighed and sat on the step by the throne. "This is much worse than I thought and I'm really scared. Where are my friends? How are you going to defeat this thing?"

Jareth walked over to the window and stared into the darkness. "I don't know just yet but we'll figure it out. Sarah I must tell you something. After we defeat this enemy and everything is done with, I want to leave the Underground and return to the other world for good."

"Jareth you want to leave the Kingdom? But don't you care about the Underground?"

Jareth looked at her staring at him with confusion. "I did at one point but as the years passed I grew rather tired of it all, it's lonely when you have no one to have a decent conversation with. I was created to be the caretaker of this land. I was made with false memories of existing before."

Sarah drew close to him, "I don't understand what you are talking about. What do you mean?"

He caressed her cheek. "Silly girl, it was all you're doing. Your powerful imagination brought me and this world into existence. I didn't exist until you dreamed of me and I only found that out when I used my magic to become human and sever my ties with you. Even though you created me I still have memories of a life before you entered my Labyrinth. I know they aren't real but I can still recall when I first found this place it was barren and filled with primitive creatures. I found their idiocy entertaining, so I built this castle and city. They made me their King. At the start it was all fun and games and I traveled to your world quite often. They were many people who were impressed with my power. They often called upon me to grant their favors, but I wouldn't unless they passed my test. I built the Labyrinth and if they won I would grant them their wish. However, if they lost, I would take their children as tribute and turn them into one of my goblins. This was done so many times that soon it became known as a tale of warning they told their children to make them obey. That's where the many tales and stories about me started. I was no longer their splendid grantor of dreams, but a nightmare to teach their children a lesson. Soon after the people stopped calling for me and I fell into despair. When I heard your call, it was the first time in many years and I took my chance to make it last as long as possible. But along the way you weren't fazed by any of my schemes and you didn't follow my illusions. I have to admit that I was surprised by your defeat of me and I fallen in love. Not my choice of course but just the same, you changed my world. I want to be with you no matter where you are and I know you want to be with your family."

Sarah took his hand in her own and spoke softly. "Jareth, I understand that you created a life above ground that you love but your Kingdom needs you here. Without you they won't know what to do. I promise that if you stay then I will stay with you. This is now my home too and we can't just leave them."

He sighed, "I know my subjects need to be controlled or they'll end up destroying themselves with their stupidity. I have my reasons for doing the things I do and If I must use fear to motivate them then so be it. I did my best as their King and I am generous enough but I'm tired of their incompetence. I have kept them in check for a long time and I grow tired of how it makes me a cruel King. I'd rather be in New York."

Sarah squeezed his hand tightly and hugged him. "If that's truly what you want to do then I'm with you but can we just wait until we beat this enemy before we make a decision?"

"Yes, dear. Whatever you want. Now let us find out what we are dealing with." He said with a smile and Sarah scowled at him. "Sarcasm is unbecoming of a king, you know."

He smirked at her and led her to the throne room where they sat down. He summoned the crystal and it sparkled. It grew large to show him what he wanted to know. The darkness was indeed alive and it was slowly corrupting the creatures around it using them to do its biding. It's a manifestation of Jareth's despair and made real when he used his magic to tear out his memories and power to become human. Jareth sighed. "Well I guess it had to go somewhere. So it's the part of me that I left and most likely I will not be able to live much longer without it. The consequences of using that kind of magic."

Jareth got up and started to pace around the room thinking of how he could defeat himself. "I believe the only way to beat it is to re-absorb it back into myself, but I am not sure if I have the power to defeat it. I'm not as powerful as I used to be."

Sarah went to him and lightly hugged him. "How are going to defeat it without your full power? I'm afraid that it will destroy everything and I'm afraid of what might happen to you if you continue on without being complete."

"I will have to use everyone's magic that is left in the Kingdom. It will have to do because you know that I hate to lose." He laughed as he said it, reminding both of them about their first meeting. Sarah leaned in close for a passionate kiss, she truly did love him and couldn't imagine how she lived without him before.

Hoggle waited in the main hall for Jareth and Sarah to tell them what it was they were dealing with. Hoggle jumped a little when the doors opened and they walked out.

"Your majesty! Did you find out what this threat is? Can we defeat it?"

Jareth walked passed him without a glance. "Yes, yes Higgle. I have found out what it is we are dealing with. It won't be an easy task but I have a plan."

"It's Hoggle." Said the dwarf under his breath. Jareth heard him but ignored the comment.

"I don't have the strength to defeat this entity on my own so I will need the help of all the subjects loyal to me. I need to use the magic from everyone in the kingdom." Said Jareth while leading the way to his private chambers, inside he quickly found what he was looking for. A large glowing orb hovered in his hands. Sarah stepped beside him. "What is it?"

"This crystal holds great power, It's what I used when I did that spell. This crystal will allow me to gather everyone's hidden magic and let me use it to beat my enemies."

"Will it hurt anyone? I mean will they survive without their magic?" She asked, eyes never leaving the ball. He looked down at her and wrapped his arm around her. "No one will be harmed by it. However, it's unstable and I might not be able to handle it alone. Sarah, you are the most powerful Sorceress I have ever seen. It was your imagination alone that created this world. I need you to help me with this task. Will you do it?"

Sarah looked up with shock blazing in her eyes. "Me? A Sorceress? Do you really think I have that kind of power, Jareth? I'm just a college student."

He smiled brightly. "I know you can do it. I have complete faith in you my love. I believe that together and with the power of this kingdom we can do anything."

She blushed at his words and without realizing what she was doing she clung to him giving him a deep kiss. Everyone in the room gasped at this and quickly turned to give them privacy. Sarah opened her eyes when she heard the gasps and quickly backed away, her red face glowing brighter, when she saw that they weren't alone. Jareth was just gazing at her with a slight smile on his face, he didn't forget that they were others in the room but now he didn't care. Sarah was glowing with embarrassment and she couldn't have looked more beautiful to him. He still couldn't believe that she was actually before him, let alone that she wanted to be with him. He didn't breath for a long time because he was afraid that it might be just another one of his dreams. At any moment he would wake and realize that she wasn't even there. Slowly he took her hand into his, trying to convince himself that she was really there, she squeezed his hand reassuringly and he sighed happily. It felt like hours before they brought their attentions back to the present situation and left to the throne room. Jareth sat the crystal carefully on its stand and shut his eyes in concentration as he began to hum. Sarah held his hand tightly and watched as the crystal reacted to the humming, she listened to him and felt her heart start to flutter. She'd almost forgotten how beautiful his voice was and the crystal started glowing brightly as images flashed by of all the creatures in the Underground. The images stopped at the sight of Jareth and Sarah. "Sarah, it's your turn. We must place our hands on the crystal and I want you to imagine all magic flowing into our bodies."

Sarah couldn't breathe, she was suddenly afraid, uncertain if she could actually do this. What if Jareth was wrong about her having powerful magic?

Jareth saw her hesitate and stroked her cheek. "I know you can do this, just have faith."

Tears welled but she kept them at bay and with one last breath she placed her hand next to his on the crystal and shut her eyes. She pictured a light mist passing through the ball and into them and soon she started feeling a slight tingling. She opened her eyes and gasped in amazement. "It's working."

The sensation spread itself down to her toes and she felt the warmth and power it gave her. She looked over to Jareth smiling and saw him glow with power, he smiled at her. "You see, I knew you could do it. With this amount of power we can now defeat the darkness. Hoggle, the time has come for the last battle. Gather the rest of the forces and be ready in a few hours, it ends tonight."


	10. Chapter 10

Jareth led Sarah back to his chambers to finish preparing in peace. Sarah sat in a chair close to the fire and shivered. Suddenly Jareth had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and sat across from her.

"Jareth? Was I really that bad to you that the only way to escape the pain was to erase your own memory? I'm so sorry, I really thought that you were just trying to distract me from rescuing Toby with the Ballroom. I didn't believe that you could actually love a dumb girl like me, I was just a spoiled little girl and you were a King. Why would you even consider loving a nobody like me?"

Jareth got up without saying a word and went into his dresser. He rummaged through it for a while before coming back to sit right beside her holding a large velvet box.

"Sarah, when we first met I was already drawn to you and I didn't know why. I've never done anything to help a runner of the Labyrinth, let alone interfere with their progress but I just had to be close to you and I didn't couldn't figure out why this girl was so appealing to me. It was in the ballroom illusion that I realized that I was falling for you and that's when the game changed. It was no longer about Toby, It was to find away to keep you with me but in the Escher room I knew that you weren't ready. So I waited for you but the pain of not being with you was tearing me up inside. None of this was your fault Sarah. It was all me and my inability to live without you. I'm the one who should be sorry and I am."

Sarah listened intently but her eyes never left the black velvet box, she wanted to know what he had inside. Then he tilted her chin up.

"Sarah, are you listening? I'm trying to confess my undying love for you and you're daydreaming." He said with a smile. She blinked away and blushed. "Yes, I'm listening and I understand what you're telling me but I still feel so guilty for what I did to you. I can't stand the thought of ever causing you pain, Jareth. I love you so much and I feel terrible that I never realized it before."

He put his fingers to her lips to quiet her. Then he gave a soft kiss on her forehead. "Sarah, all is forgiven. It's all in the past now, let us move on to better things, okay?"

Sarah nodded in acceptance and he smiled. "We don't know what this battle is going to bring or if we'll even survive but for now let's just be together. I've waited for this moment for five years and now that it's finally here I'm not going to spend it talking about the past."

Sarah smiled and kissed his finger tips. "You're right. I can't think of any place I'd rather be than with you."

He looked down to the box and huffed. "Sarah, this is for you." He handed it to her and she slowly opened it. Inside there was a crown and she gasped. It was a large loop of white gold that twisted into vines and at the center there were many shining jewels. She picked it up for a closer look and it felt heavy for something so delicate looking. Jareth removed something else from the box and took her hand.

"Sarah, it took five years for us to be together and I don't want to ever be without you again. I love you, Sarah Williams. Will you do me the honor of becoming my queen?" With the last word he opened the small box to show a beautiful weaved white gold ring and at its center was his crest surrounded by small diamonds. Sarah just gazed at its splendor and blinked up at him. Her expression was that of shock and Jareth felt his face drain of blood as he awaited her answer. The seconds stretched into minutes and Jareth was starting to become nervous. Then Sarah cupped his face and slowly leaned in for a kiss. "I will." She whispered against his lips and he sighed in relief. Deepening the kiss she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tight. His hands went around her waist pulled her against his body and the world melted away. Suddenly Jareth felt Sarah pull back. "Wait. Let's not do this right now. We should wait until we can do this properly. On our wedding night. I don't want to rush into this just because we might die tonight."

Jareth looked slightly disappointed but quickly turned into a smile. "Yes, you are right."

He drew another crystal from the air and tossed it above them. When the cloud dissipated they were in full armor and Sarah was amazed at how light and easy it was to maneuver. She then noticed a silver chain necklace with a white gold crest hanging around her neck. She touched it lightly and asked what it was for.

"It's a talisman, just like mine. It holds great power and it will keep you safe from harm. It will also let everyone know how much I love you, Sarah. Everyone who sees it will know that we are engaged."

She beamed brightly at him and lunged at him almost knocking them over. He was confused for a split second until her lips descended upon his for a deep passionate kiss. "Oh thank you. I love it and I love you!"

He laughed at the sight of her, her youthful energy that poured from her very soul. He was completely taken by surprise at how much life she brought back into his heart. She was in many ways still a child at heart but now she was also a strong and confident young woman. His Sarah, he never thought this day would ever come but he would be damned if this evil force was going to take it all away.

"Come my darling, I should teach you to better control your abilities." He said while bringing her to her feet. He produced a crystal. "Your power comes from your imagination, whatever you imagine can be brought to life with concentration. I use crystals to focus my concentration and there are very few techniques that you need to know but what is most important is the amount of energy it takes. The more magic you use the more energy it takes, it draws from your very life source. It can be extremely dangerous to use too much as it weakens you."

Sarah nodded in understanding. "Can I try?"

Hoggle had the troops ready and waiting just outside the castle gates. He had already sent out most of their forces to the battle grounds by the south walls. He was waiting with this small escort for the King. No one was expecting Sarah to follow behind Jareth dressed for battle. Hoggle gasped. "Sarah, you are coming?"

"I have to Hoggle. Jareth needs my help with the crystal. Besides, I'm not about to abandon my fiancé during a war." She said with a smile while taking his arm. He helped mount her on a horse.

"Jareth, I have no idea how to ride a horse." She stated while nervously patting it's fur. Jareth climbed on behind her. "That's fine. I'm here with you." He said into her ear while taking the reins.

They took off without warning and Sarah clung to his arm. She thought she was going to fall off as the horse raced through the Labyrinth. Sarah could smell the smoke and see orange of many fires as they approached, she could hear the echos of creatures screaming and it made her heart sink.

The moment the battlefield came into view she almost gagged on her own scream of horror. There were dozens of bodies scattered around as the hundreds of goblins were viciously attacking Hoggle's forces. In the near distance she could see a group of creatures just like Ludo howling and sending boulders to crush a horde of goblins. Another flame burst a few yards away as the fiery gang danced around a pile of burning goblins. Sarah couldn't bear to look anymore and turned into Jareth's chest. She could see the horror flicker in his eyes and he got off the horse. He walked a few feet ahead of her and she quickly rushed to his side. She saw the anger bubbling over him. He conjured a crystal and threw it in the air, it burst into a blinding light and every creäture paused to look at it. The dark smoke seemed to cringe back from the light, Sarah thought it must be Jareth's other half.

"I will not allow this to continue in my kingdom!" Shouted Jareth for all to hear. The goblins cringed at the sound of his enormous voice, they all looked like they wanted to cry. However the darkness quickly shrouded them and they seem to change before her very eyes, they seethed with anger. They all charged toward Jareth and Sarah.

Jareth took Sarah's hand and stood rigid, building his strength to conjure a blast of light that shook the ground. The darkness disappeared in the light and all the goblins cowered, some even turning to ash on the spot. It was over in a second and all of Jareth's forces cheered, he however was out of breath and Sarah had to help support him. "Jareth! Are you alright?" Her voice was almost hysterical. He quickly regained his composure. "I'm fine, that just took a lot more energy than I thought. This force is more powerful than I was expecting."

Sarah looked up at him and squeezed his hand tighter. "You have something better. You have me." She stated with a determined face. She closed her eyes and imagined she own crystal appearing in her hand then smiled brightly when she felt its weight. Jareth gazed at her in surprise. "Well, you learn quick."

Sarah tossed the ball into the air and it burst in a million pieces, each one surrounded their forced with a glowing light. "A force field. Learned that from Stars Wars."

Jareth turned to his troops. "Archers ready. Fire!" He bellowed. The night sky was lit with hundreds of twinkling flames and they rained down on the goblins. They were driven back and Hoggle laughed. "It's working!" He shouted in amazement.

Jareth smirked. "It's not over yet. Fire another round." The archers let loose another blazing fire storm. Everyone gasped as they hit an invisible wall but Jareth figured as much. "Show yourself." He grumbled as if to himself but the shadows began to move and form into a body. A man appeared before them looking just like Jareth except he was dressed all in black.

He smiled. "How nice you meet you both. Jareth my creator and his beautiful Sarah, the girl whom started it all. You may call me Jones. "

Sarah could only glare and held her head high. Jareth spoke with a careful calmness. "This war is pointless. Stand down."

The man laughed. "No, I don't think I will. You see, I found a loop-hole to the mess of dying. I am well aware that we will both die without each other but I don't like you, so I refuse to go back."

Jareth scoffed. "There is no loop holes, we are going to die that is the consequences of the magic I used."

Jones only laughed harder. "Was it worth it? Limiting your life span and for what? The girl whom broke our heart when she refused us? She is the reason this war is even happening."

Sarah paled and couldn't stop the tear from rolling down her face but still she remained rigid. Jareth tightened his grip on her that it began to hurt but she said nothing only squeezed harder. "What can I say? Love makes you do crazy things. I did manage to get her love in the end so yes, it was well worth it."

Jones glanced at Sarah. "Do you love him?"

Sarah stared into his eyes. "Yes, I do."

"And would you still if we were to become one again? If we were to be the same man who you hated all those years ago? I am after all his other half. So it begs the question. Could you love me?" His eyes were piercing and her breath caught in her throat. She blinked away in panic and hated herself for it. If Jareth were to become whole again would he become cruel like this man before her? She had realized her love for him when they met again, could she still love him if they merged together? The thoughts were swimming in her head and it was making her dizzy. I knew how he was before they split, he used a lot of tricks to get her to fail her quest but she also remembered her pain when she left the Underground. The pain of realizing that he loved her and she left him without knowing that she did love him, even then she loved him. This thought took away her anxiety and she turned back. Before she could say a word in answer he had already turned away.

"Well, I guess I already know the answer. I will always be the villain in your eyes. I am going to continue my takeover until every single creäture in this land is under my control. Once I become ruler of them it will make me a solid being and then I can live without my other half." Said Jones with delight in his voice. He was about to disappear when Sarah had let go of Jareth's hand and reached to grab his. He turned swiftly with surprise but quickly turned it into a look of hatred.

Jareth was shocked at her, he wanted to pull her back but stopped himself. She knew what she doing and he had to trust her judgment.

Sarah felt out of breath as she gazed between the two. Jones had been right, they were one and if she was to love one, then she was going to love the other as well.

"Stop this, please." She pleaded. "This war is pointless when you don't have to be without me." She spoke slowly and made sure he was listening to every word. He made no move to do anything but look at her quizzically so she continued. "I hadn't yet known in my youth that you loved me and that I did fall in love with the Goblin King. I thought it was too late to let you know, once I left the kingdom. Everyone makes mistakes because no one is perfect. I loved you then and I still love you now. You are already ruler so you don't need to do this. Please, merge with him. I can't bear to lose either of you." She glanced at Jareth to join them and he moved slowly. With both of their hands in hers she sighed in relief as it was all going to be over shortly.

Suddenly, she yelped in pain as Jones started crushing her hand. "It's too bloody late, Sarah! I cannot forgive all the pain you've caused me. I don't want your love and I don't want you!" He screamed with fury and a dagger appeared in his hand. He was about to bring it down on her when Jareth drew a crystal and threw it at him, it exploded in a ball of fire sending him flying across the field.

Sarah held her arm close to her chest and Jareth led her back to his troops.

Every creäture that had been silently watching suddenly broke out in war again. The air was thick with the scent of blood.

Jareth took Sarah to a nearby tent out-of-the-way of battle. "Sarah! Are you okay?" He said while taking her damaged hand and placing a crystal over it. The crystal burst like a bubble leaving in its path a glittering shower of dust that instantly healed her broken fingers. She looked up at him with a smile on her reddened face. The tears of pain were still on her face, but not from her hand. She clung to him and cried. "I really messed up this one. He hates me." She sobbed and Jareth stroked her back soothingly. "I can never hate you. Not even in my darkest form. He bares all the pain I had, the pain that I had cast out. I hold the love and goodness, he holds my darkness but still I can sense that he is conflicted." His voice was soothing and she tried to recover quickly but it still took minutes for the tears to stop.

"It can't end like this Jareth. I refuse to lose you, not when it has taken this long to finally be with you." She trailed her hands up his back and pulling away from his embrace to kiss him. His lips were soft as she kissed him tenderly, then he winced in pain as Sarah pulled her hand over his left shoulder. She gasped as she peered under his armor to see a huge fire wound. "What happened? When did you get hurt?" She demanded.

He covered the wound with a cloth. "When I attacked him. We are linked, what ever happens to him will befall on me as well."

Sarah stared at him in horror before they were interrupted by thunderous crashing. They launched out of the tent to see giant balls of fire raining down from the blackened sky. Sarah was stunned and Jareth pulled her along. "Come on!" He shouted over the noise.

She spotted Hoggle in the distance and saw him trying to help a wounded soldier. She also spotted a fire-ball heading his way. She screamed and stopped. She closed her eyes and summoned a crystal, she threw it in the air without looking, still concentrating on her goal. Suddenly a giant dome covered the area and the fire balls collided with it bursting in a magnificent flame lighting the night sky. She dropped to her knees in exhaustion. Jareth was right, using that much power drained you of energy. Jareth picked her up and supported her while continuing towards Hoggle. "Well done, my love. Your power is getting stronger."

She huffed along. "I learned from the best." She tried to laugh but it came out as more of a breathless gasp. Hoggle rushed to help her and Jareth left them to get something from his horse's saddle.

"Sarah, you saved us!" Beamed the dwarf with tearing eyes. Sarah huffed one last time before finally catching her breath. "Oh Hoggle, I told you that I would do anything for my friends." She smiled at him.

Jareth returned with the big crystal ball. "This war has already lasted weeks, it will not last the night. Sarah, I think it's time we use it. If we could use it to make everyone immobile for just a moment I can use the crystal to bond with him. He wouldn't have a choice."

"How could we paralyze everyone? That's hundreds of people, Jareth." She asked. Sarah was completely baffled by him. "Have you lost your mind? It took a lot of energy to create that force field, it made me so weak and it was just a tiny one. How do you know that it won't kill us to use that much energy?"

Jareth shrugged and simply stated that they would think of something.


	11. Chapter 11

It was nearing midnight and Sarah was pacing inside the tent, soon it would be time to strike with their plan. Jareth had left ten minutes earlier to warn their forces about the plan. Sarah's mind was swimming with all the possible outcomes and it was driving her insane. She concentrated on creating a crystal and peered into it. "Please, show me that everything will be okay." She asked but it remained blank. "Um, will our plan work?" Again the crystal remained unchanged and she sighed.

"It cannot tell the future, Sarah." Said Jareth as he walked in and sat down on the cot.

She flung her arms up in the air. "Why not! I'm losing my nerve with all this tension."

Jareth yawned and lied down on the cot. "Because the future is determined by the choices we make. There are just too many variables."

She came and sat on the cot beside him. "Well, that sucks. Are you tired?"

He peeked through his closed eyes. "Had a rough morning and a long day. I do believe that you were the cause of that."

Sarah leaned down beside him and rested her head on his arm. "I can't believe that it has only been a day. It feels like this morning happened months ago."

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the back of her head. "We have a couple of hours, try to get some sleep."

She almost didn't hear what he had said because she was preoccupied with other thoughts. She couldn't take her mind off the fact that she was laying in the same bed with Jareth and it felt so right. The moment felt so right it was like it happened everyday. Then she smiled as she realized that she will wake up every day beside him, she fell asleep while twirling her ring on her finger. She woke a while later to find Jareth gone and panic struck her. Did he leave without her? She worried. It sounds like something he would do, sacrifice himself than risk her life.

She was about to race out the tent when he came in holding a couple of peaches. "Hey, I was coming to wake you. Want a snack?"

She scowled at him while snatching up the peach. "I thought you left without me and I was so going to kick your ass." She said before taking a bite and sitting down. He sat beside her with a beaming smile. "I wouldn't do anything without you, I'd be too afraid of the wrath of Sarah Williams." He replied giving her a light kiss.

"Jareth promise me that you won't do anything to get yourself hurt. I know how you can be and I won't have you dying on me. I need you." She stared into his eyes and grew angry when he didn't answer. She took his face in her hands. "Jareth please. Just say you won't for my sake."

He huffed and nodded. "I promise but the same goes for you."

The midnight hour had come and Sarah marched with Jareth and their guards to the center of the battle field. He had the crystal ball covered be his cloak and Sarah had a force field surrounding them. Jareth stopped at the exact center and uncovered his crystal.

"Just what do you plan on doing with that?" Came a voice from the shadows. Sarah had to squint her eyes to see a figure coming towards the light. Jones swayed with his arms behind his back and a grin on his face.

Jareth placed the ball on its perch. "Ending this war once and for all." He simply stated. Jones stepped closer and then hurled a fire-ball directly at them. Sarah flinched when the fire-ball hit her force field. "Clever girl." Jones yelled out while tossing another. She shrugged and placed her hand on the crystal.

"Sarah, stop! Think about what you are doing. If you kill me then he will die as well."

"Well stand down and I won't have to do this. All I want is the kingdom to be safe again and you by my side." Shouted Sarah as Jareth placed his hand beside hers on the ball. Jones let his apprehension slip through his poker face for just a moment but that was all it took to see that he was scared.

"I will not go back without a fight!" He shouted with rage. Sarah couldn't help but smile at his rage. It only made him angrier.

"The more you get mad, the more I can see your inner conflicts. You know that I love you and I know that you love me, so why are you being so damn stubborn? Just come home." She said but she knew it was pointless, she just thought she would give it one last try. He didn't say a word as he conjured a large flaming ball and tossed it their way. "Shut up, witch! I will never forgive what you did to me, never!"

Jareth placed his free hand on her shoulder. "It's no use trying to reason with him. He didn't inherit my good judgment."

Sarah let loose a shaky breath and nodded her head. "Thought I could try one last time. Well, let's get started." She closed her eyes and focused her energy on connecting with everyone on the battle grounds. Trying to get everyone in a state of paralysis wasn't easy but slowly she felt them slow. Her eyes flew open when another flame hit the force field. Jones was firing them quickly in his last effort to break through. She looked over at Jareth whom still had his eyes closed in concentration and did her best to follow in suit. It took a few minutes for everyone's movements to stop and Sarah was very light-headed. The energy drained out of her in pools and she was about to pass out when Jareth spoke.

"It worked, Sarah."

Sarah was breathless and dropped to her knees. "I think I'm going to throw up." She said while trying to control her breathing. Jareth helped her up. "Please, don't." He said with a smile. She scowled at him. "How come you're not out of breath?"

"I'm exhausted but I'm better at hiding it." His eyes looked like he hadn't slept in weeks but other than that he held his composure.

Sarah lowered the force field and they walked right up to Jones. He was still as a statue.

"We should hurry before the spell runs out." Said Jareth while placing his hand on Jones and closing his eyes. Sarah inched closer to do the same when suddenly Jones looked right at her and in an instant he plunged a knife into Jareth's right shoulder. They both let out shrieks of pain but Jones was still able to tackle Sarah away. He twisted her arm behind her back and she cried out as she heard her arm crack under the pressure.

"Leave her alone!" Screamed Jareth, he was trying to stand up but failed.

Sarah tried not to cry out again but every small jerk sent pain shooting through her body. "Please stop! It hurts!" She screamed.

He only laughed at her. "Good."

"How is it that the spell didn't work on you?" Asked Jareth.

"Don't be stupid. We are linked you idiot, if you're not frozen then neither am I." He answered with a wince as he used his free hand to stop the bleeding in his own shoulder.

Even while crying she heard Jareth swear under his breath and again Jones jerked her arm making her scream in agony.

"Damn it! Let her go!" Snarled Jareth. He closed his hand around the blade and they both screamed in pain when he ripped it out. Jones let go of her arm to grip his shoulder and Sarah fell at his feet clutching her arm to her chest. In a fit of rage Jones held a fire-ball in his hand and aimed it at her. She held her breath in anticipation, staring at him with bulging eyes.

Suddenly Jareth was on him, knocking them both over and brought the knife down on Jones, right into his chest. Jareth collapsed beside his evil twin and they both coughed blood.

"No!" Sarah screamed and she crawled next to them. Tears streaked down her face. "You asshole, you promised me." She cried while stroking his face. He gasped for air. "I'm sorry." Was all he could say before he stopped moving. Jones started to convulse and Sarah leaned next to him. He looked at her in surprise but he didn't push her away. "I'm so sorry that you had to bear the hurt alone. I know it's all my fault, if you hadn't met me this wouldn't have happened. forgive..." Her voice broke before she could finish and she leaned down to kiss his cheek. He touched her face and she looked at him.

"I should have forgiven you a long time ago but I've been so blind with rage to see how much you love me. I love you, Sarah." She smiled at him and tried to make him comfortable on her lap. She watched over him for a while until his ragged breathing become more sporadic then he started convulsing again. All she could do was hold him tight, stroking his hair until he stilled. She didn't have to look through her closed eyes to know that he was dead. Slowly his body disappeared in her lap, leaving only Jareth's behind. She collapsed on his chest, letting go the cries she was holding back. "Don't leave me!" She sobbed.


	12. Chapter 12

It was a few seconds after Jareth's death before the rest of the world awakened with a dizzying confusion. Hoggle was the first to notice a hysterical crying in the vast silence. He spotted Sarah slumped on the ground and he rushed to her side. "Oh no." He said under his breath as he saw the king lying dead beneath her. He bent down next to her and patted her back reassuringly. Gasps spread throughout the area and Hoggle realized that every creäture including goblins were gathered around their fallen king. The goblins were back to normal and kneeling down in honor of their king's sacrifice. Hoggle let Sarah have a few more minutes before he pried her away from Jareth. She was reluctant to leave him but followed him to her horse. Once she was settled he ordered that the king be taken back to the castle for a proper funeral.

Sarah stared out of the window at the labyrinth. It was breath-taking in the afternoon sun but she didn't enjoy it. Her eyes were red from the constant tears and her throat sore. It had been two days since the war had ended and she hadn't left her room. She had surrounded herself with his clothing on the bed and cried herself ragged. Now she could only just stare out the window, no more tears left to cry. It took all her effort to get out of bed and get dressed in her best black gown. Looking into the mirror she placed her talisman on and almost lost her nerve when she saw the crown he had given her on the vanity. She held in her hands when she went to sit on the windowsill. Today was Jareth's funeral and the memorial for all the fallen whom were never recovered.

She heard a knock on the door but didn't answer. Hoggle let himself in. "It's time, your majesty."

She sighed. "Hoggle, you shouldn't call me that. I'm not the queen."

He stepped closer to where she was sitting and bent down in front of her. "He wanted you to be to his queen. You have the crown, so that makes you queen in my book."

She turned to face him. "We never got the chance to be married. I wanted to wait until the war was over and now he's dead. Who would have thought that I'd be a widow before I got the chance to be a bride."

Hoggle took the crown from her hands and placed it upon her head. "Married or not, it doesn't matter. All that matters is that Jareth loved you and wanted to share his kingdom with you. We need a ruler, Sarah. I know in my heart that you are going to be a great queen."

She scoffed at him and held her aching head. "I don't deserve to be queen. He wouldn't have died if he hadn't met me. It was all my fault that this happened in the first place. He never would have fallen in love with me and he wouldn't have been so tormented with pain enough to do that stupid spell to tear himself in two. Jones wouldn't have existed to devastate the land and Jareth would still be alive today."

Hoggle stood up quickly, scowling at her. "Sarah! I'm surprised at you. You know as well as I that Jareth wouldn't have traded his time with you for the whole world. He adored you more than being a king. He ruled this land for more than thirteen hundred years and I've never seen him happier than when he found you, Sarah. You gave him hope that his life wasn't meaningless."

Sarah felt a tear roll down her cheek. Jareth had confessed to her once that he was very depressed that his life was meaningless in his long existence. "Yeah, he told me something like that before. I know he loved me but I just can't help but think of what it might be like if we hadn't met. He would most likely still be terrorizing the goblins, he'd be depressed but still alive. I'd still be in school and just going through the motions. Dating, marriage, kids, I don't know. Our lives were forever changed the day we met when I was fifteen and I can't imagine going back to that life. I've just gotten him back, Hoggle. Now I've lost him forever and I'm completely shattered."

Hoggle gave her a hug. "You're a strong woman, Sarah. You can survive this, just give it time."

The chapel was filled with many creatures from across the land that had come to pay their respects, even the goblins. Sarah was seated in a throne with Hoggle and a few other war heroes sitting next to her.

The reverend started with a prayer and led into the speeches provided by a select few. Sarah took a deep breath when it was her turn. "Jareth loved his home so much that he gave his very life to stop it from falling. I haven't known him very long unlike the rest of you, his loyal subjects but in the short while that I did, I've come to see that he was the bravest man I have ever seen. We may not have gotten to know each other well but we loved one another enough to last eons." She had more to say but she broke into sobs and Hoggle helped her back to her seat. She could hear everyone in the room cry out in pain, her words had touched them a great deal.

The ceremony passed quickly for Sarah as her mind was still in a dazed state constantly thinking about her short time spent with Jareth. It wasn't took long before everyone was asked to say goodbye at the coffin and Sarah walked slowly towards it. Jareth was dressed in a stunning jeweled suit and he looked like he was sleeping peacefully. Looking down at him she suddenly thought of sleeping beauty and maybe if she kissed him that he might wake. She leaned down slowly while holding her breath and closing her eyes. She poured all her love for him into that tender kiss and secretly prayed for him to move. But he didn't, her heart sank and she almost burst into tears. "Goodbye, my love. I'll see you again." She whispered into his ear and turned to sit back down.

When everyone was seated again the reverend goblin moved on to the memorial for the warriors whom died in battle. Hoggle said a few words commemorating Ludo and Sir Didymus for the major roles they played in the war. "If it wasn't for their bravery, no one in the kingdom would have survived the first attacks. Sir Didymus was a great leader and Ludo was the strongest beast that I've ever had the pleasure in knowing. We owe our lives to these men and the many fallen."

Hoggle finished his speech and Sarah got up again. Her heart hung heavily under the weight of what she was about to say. She had to act before anyone could interject. "Everyone it saddens me to say this but I believe in my very soul that this decision is right. I cannot take the throne." The sounds of loud gasps of shock echoed throughout the room and Sarah had to wait for them to stop before she could continue. "Jareth and I never got the chance to take our vows and it isn't right for me to claim this title of Goblin Queen. I am not from your land and I know nothing of your customs. I should go back home."

The people were now in an uproar. "Oh no, please don't leave us. Your majesty!" Came shouts. "Who will lead us?" Shouted another. Sarah raised her arm to silence them. "Fear not, you won't be without a great ruler." She closed her eyes and easily drew a crystal from thin air and she smiled at how easy it was getting to use magic. She turned it into a golden crown in her hands. "Hoggle, caretaker of the Labyrinth and leader of our brave warriors. Will you except the duties of king? To guide and protect the loyal subjects of this kingdom?"

Hoggle's eyes were bulging out of his head and he stammered. "I... I, um. I will do my very best your majesty." Then head bowed to her and allowed her to place the crown on his head. Together they turned to the crowed. "Behold, your new ruler of the Underground. King Hoggle!" Shouted Sarah proudly and raised his arm up high. The crowed cheered happily. Hoggle whispered to her. "Why are you leaving Sarah?"

She smiled at him. "I should be with my family and besides it was always going to be this way. Jareth wanted us to live Above ground and I'm pretty sure that he was going to pick you to lead the Underground in his stead. He was a smart king after all and he always knew you had the brains for the job. You just needed the courage to accept it."

Hoggle gaped at her. "He was going to leave the kingdom and leave me in charge?"

She bent down to hugged him. "Let you in on a little secret. He was tired of his life here but he never stopped loving this place, so of course he would want it to be well taken care of. He never actually said who was to lead the land but I think you're perfect for the part."

Hoggle was in tears now. "I can see why he loved you so much. You are strong, beautiful, and wise beyond your years."

"It's time I go now, Hoggle. I'll visit again soon."

Hoggle nodded, still sniffling. "Very soon. Goodbye Sarah."

She stood up and created a crystal in her hand. "My room please." She whispered to the crystal then tossed it in the air. It exploded in a huge cloud of glitter and smoke and she disappeared beneath it. Everyone gasped as they watched the cloud settle.


	13. Chapter 13

Sarah stood in her old child bedroom and she looked at herself in the mirror. She was still wearing her black gown and the crown was lopsided on her head. She looked like a zombie because she hadn't slept in days. She sat on her bed and cried herself to sleep. It was late morning when she woke to a scream and Sarah bolted up in bed.

"God, Sarah. You scared the living daylights out of me. I thought you went back to school three days ago. I didn't see your car outside, how late did you get in last night?" Asked Karen while setting the laundry basket down. She came to sit beside Sarah whom still hadn't said a word. She gave Sarah a light hugged. "Oh Sarah, I know that you are still upset about the little fight we had. Your father and I wanted to apologize to you but you took off so suddenly that we didn't get a chance to. We shouldn't have pried into your life like we did. We understand that you're an adult now but your father still sees you as his baby girl. I swear it had nothing to do with your friend, you father was just looking out for you. We actually like David, he's a very nice man and we are thrilled that you have found such a catch."

Sarah began crying again at the thought of Jareth and leaned on Karen. "Sarah, what's the matter?"

"Nothing, I'm just glad we forgive each other again." She replied through a sob. Karen smiled and hugged her tightly for a long while. Sarah let her tears dry before she moved away.

"Sarah, sweetheart. What are you wearing? Is this one of the costumes from your play?" Asked Karen, looking her over with a beaming smile. "You look lovely, just like a beautiful queen."

Sarah nodded and got up to change. "I shouldn't get it dirty before the play."

Sarah spent most of the day with her family but her mind was elsewhere. So much had happened is just a few days and she felt as if she was going to shatter like glass at the slightest gust of wind.

It was nearing dinner time and Sarah decided to go for a walk to clear her head.

"I'll just save you some dinner then." Said Karen as Sarah was getting her coat on and she nodded. "I should be back soon." Then she went out the door.

Sarah walked through the park not really thinking much about anything the entire way. Before too long she found herself on Jareth's street. She slowed her walking to a snail's pace. The memories of their day together was flooding her mind and she felt her heart quicken. She stopped in front of his house and glanced around to see if there were people about. It was starting to get dark and everyone was in doors. She saw his car and hers sitting in the driveway. I forgot that I had left it here, she thought to herself.

She strolled up to the door and tried the handle. It was locked. "Damn." She said before closing her eyes and focused on the lock. The door flung open in a second and she walked in. It was dark inside and she turned on a lamp in the living room. She sat on the couch and picked up a picture. It was one of his celebrations at a business party. His hair was combed back and he was dressed in an expensive black suit. He wasn't smiling in the picture but he looked happy, she thought as she touched the photo.

"Jareth." She whispered. "I wish you were here with me, right now. Why did you have to leave me? You jerk." A tear spilled onto the picture and she laid down covering her eyes. "Jareth, I miss you so such." She sobbed into the empty house.

"I missed you too." Said a voice.

Sarah bolted to her feet with a scream. Jareth was standing at the end of the couch, dressed in a business suit. She looked him over and noticed it was the same suit from the picture. He smiled at her. "Hello, earth to Sarah. What's the matter?" He asked waving a hand at her. She stepped back a bit.

"You're dead, that's the matter." She shouted at him. He moved closer to her but she took another step back, so he stopped. "Sarah, please don't walk away from me."

She took a deep breath and allowed him to inch closer. He slowly held out a hand to her and she stared at it a while before reaching out to touch it. He felt warm in her touch and solid.

"You're real. Jareth you're really here." She said with a sigh of relief. He then looked at her confusingly. "Who's Jareth? I'm David, remember?"

Sarah gasped. "What? Don't tell me you forgot again." She exclaimed while shaking her head.

He started laughing at her wildly and gave her a big hug. "Fooled you."

She was panting with shock. "What?" She huffed. He beamed down at her. "I heard you call me a jerk just now. So I wanted payback." He laughed. She pushed him away. "You were joking? So you really do remember everything?" She asked breathlessly and he nodded. "God damn it, you really are a jerk." She yelled and rushed into his arms, hugging him as tight as she could. They were like that for minutes.

"Sarah, you're cutting off my circulation. Can you loosen up just a little?"

She shook her head and he sighed while kissing her head. It was another five minutes before Jareth had to push her away a bit. "Sarah, I can't breathe." That's when he saw the tears streaking down her face and it shook him to his core. He held her again and sat down on the couch. "I'm sorry, Sarah. I shouldn't have joked."

She let out a shaky breath. "It isn't that. You have no idea what it was like have to watch you die. There was nothing I could do to help you. I went to your funeral Jareth. Now suddenly you're here with me. I'm just so scared that I might be dreaming."

"Shh, my love. You're not dreaming and I'm really here with you." He said to her soothingly.

"How are you here, anyway?" She asked while still clinging to his coat. "You brought me back."

"Me? How?" She asked looking up to face him. He smiled at her. "Will you ever understand? I told you before that you are the most powerful sorceress I've ever seen. You created me with your imagination and you brought me back with your wish. You wished for me to be here with you and so I am."

She smiled at him. "Awesome, I rock." She said before pouncing on him, knocking him over on the couch. He fell back with a light thud and she slid off his jacket and glided her hand up and down is shirt. He was surprised when she started undoing his belt and he pulled away. "Sarah, what are you doing? I thought you wanted to wait until our wedding night."

She smiled at him. "You died before that happened. So I don't really want to wait anymore." She snapped her fingers and suddenly they were upstairs in his bedroom. He looked around with a smile. "Wow, you're getting good at that."

She pushed him back. "I wanted to wait for our wedding night because I didn't want the war to rush us but then you died. I hope you can see why I don't want to wait anymore."

They laid in bed until late afternoon the next day. They were completely exhausted and talking about whatever crossed their minds. Sarah didn't want to ruin the pleasant mood but curiosity got the better of her. "Jareth, do you remember dying?" She asked meekly. He stared up at the ceiling expressionless for a bit before answering. "Yes and I don't recommend it. It's was a strange experience actually because I can remember both perspectives. The better one was when I slipped into a coma before dying. The second one was the most painful, it isn't very fun drowning in your own blood. But still the worst part was knowing that you were there watching me suffer. I never wanted to put you through that."

Sarah felt hot tears slipping down her face as she laid on his chest watching the images flash through her eyes. "I could do nothing but hold you soothingly, Jareth. It was a terrible feeling to know that I could do nothing to ease your pain."

He wiped the tears away. "Shh, it's over now and I don't plan on dying again."

Sarah sniffled and took a deep breath. It's time to change the mood and she told him about Hoggle.

"I can't believe you picked Hogwart to be king!" Laughed Jareth. She hit his arm lightly. "It's Hoggle and he was perfect for the job. I have no idea of how to be a queen, so what else was I suppose to do? Besides, I thought you wanted to live here anyways."

"I get it, Sarah. It's not an easy thing to do for anyone, I'm proud of how you handled things. I probably would have picked the dwarf anyways but maybe I should keep an eye on things for a while."

Sarah sat upright and covered her mouth. "Oh my god. No one knows that you're back! I have to tell Hoggle." She was about to get out of bed when Jareth pulled her back. "Why the rush? I'm sure they can wait another day. I want to spend some alone time with you first." He whispered into her neck and nuzzled her making her giggle.

"Fine." She said turning into his kiss. She laid back in the bed and they held each other close.

"Jareth, if you picked this life above ground specifically, why did you choose to corporate mergers? It seems so boring for the Goblin King." She asked while comparing their hands, he had long slender fingers compared to her short small ones.

"I bet it comes to no surprise to you when I say that I wanted a life of luxury. Besides, corporate takeovers are fun, I get to be as ruthless as I want in a much healthier way than sending goblins to the bog." He laughed. Sarah glared at him playfully and shrugged. "I guess you're right. It doesn't really surprise me."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot. My parents want you to come for dinner sometime soon. I had a good long talk with my mom and she told me that are thrilled about us getting together. That I finally found someone who I really love and that loves me. However, I'm sure we can expect some awkward conversations from my dad. Mostly about our age difference..."

Jareth's roaring laughter had cut her off and she stared at him. "What?"

"Sarah, I'm an immortal. Age doesn't really matter to me, I've waited a long time for you. I'm sure I can wait another decade if you want me to." He said with a smile.

She turned away blushing. "No, no age doesn't matter to me either but does that mean when I'm like fifty and old that you're still going to be the same?"

He laughed again and pulled her in close to him. "You're funny, Sarah. Are you ever going to understand that you are a magical being? When you reach whatever age that you're comfortable with we can use magic to make you an immortal too. I'm not going to spend an eternity without you."

She blushed even harder, embarrassed as if she should have known better. "Won't people start to notice that we won't age?"

He shrugged. "When the time comes we can find a new world to explore."

Sarah snuggled on his chest and smiled. "I think we are going to have lots of fun adventures together."

**The End**


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